Say hello to my latest obsession.
This is I Blame Coco, otherwise known as Coco Sumner (plus a band), otherwise known as the daughter of Sting and Trudie Styler.
The burgeoning talent, just 19 years old at the moment, has been diligently plucking away at her debut record, The Constant, for the past five years now. Ironically though, there’s hardly anything constant about it, given that she apparently re-wrote the entire record in the fall of 2009.
The record was produced with the help of Klas Ã…hlund, the genius Swedish powerhouse behind Robyn‘s sublime self-titled 2005 record, as well as dozens of pop productions including Britney‘s “Piece of Me” and several tracks off of the under-appreciated 2008 Sugababes album, Catfights & Spotlights.
Sumner’s second single, “Self Machine,” is the next tidbit to be released from her debut.
The blaring, ’80’s-inspired beats of the song sparkle with shades of Ã…hlund’s pop sensibility, yet Sumner’s deeper voice suggests something far darker: “I saw the mirror staring back at me, and it told me I’m a self machine,” Sumner croons, sounding appropriately lonely as she tackles the personal void missing in today’s digital age.
In short: Think a less obnoxious La Roux, mixed with The Killers and a touch of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs‘ new electronic sound, a la “Zero.” The result is nothing short of alt-disco brilliance.
The video for the song was just recently released, which you can now watch above. It’s very high fashion (though I may just be biased by Coco and her gorgeous, moody model friends), a bit magical (floating in an abandoned pool!), and quite beautifully shot all around.
If the two singles hadn’t already won me over, her spot-on thoughts on Robyn (who happens to be featured on Coco’s debut single, “Caesar”) certainly cemented the deal.
From her biography:
She is a pop star worth looking up to.’ She says it as if there aren’t many. ‘She has control over every aspect of her music, from the sound to the presentation to the artwork. It is all directly coming from her. And,’ she notes, ‘she is a bit mental.’
I predict very good things, indeed.
“Self Machine” will be released on July 12. To learn more, check out I Blame Coco’s official website here.